Alice Practice
by Lcrazemag
Summary: Sequel to Alice in Zombieland. Quinn, Rachel, Jesse, Santana, Mike, Sam, and Beth learn to adapt and survive to the new society after the outbreak. They are haunted by thoughts of the friends and family they left behind. Soon, they'll find out if there's anyone left. TW: violence, gore.
1. Scars Will Heal Soon

Title: Alice Practice (M)

By: Lcrazemag

Summary: Sequel to_ Alice in Zombieland_. Quinn, Rachel, Jesse, Santana, Mike, Sam, and Beth learn to adapt and survive to the new society after the outbreak. They are haunted by thoughts of the friends and family they left behind. Soon, they'll find out if there's anyone left.

A/N: There's a bit more.. violence in this one. Also warning for minor character deaths. If you've never heard the song "Alice Practice" by Crystal Castles, listening to it will set the atmosphere of this fic perfectly.

* * *

Their plan to escape the sickness was only slightly liberating.

Over the winter, Santana had been right in her assumption that the weather would slow the undead down and make it easier to avoid them and survive the nightmare they perpetuated until it was over. They also assumed that the nightmare would end with the immobilization of the _things_ and bring about some sort of societal revolution where the living could take back the continent. Well.. that didn't exactly happen.

As the colder months passed, the undead in the North succumbed to the frost and were buried under ice and snow, immobilizing them _yes, _but unfortunately also preserving the sickness they were infested with and bringing about a silent danger and a false sense of security.

People were kind of stupid.

In their celebration and rejoicing over the "eliminated" threat they started to form sanitation teams that would take it upon themselves to clear out the bodies of the undead, unknowingly unleashing the sickness upon themselves because they hadn't used proper protection in their haste to rid the world of the corpses.

So it took a while, but the virus spread... and started to mutate.

Now, people could be infected with the virus and not turn. Something within their bodies was biologically sound enough to recognize that the weather was unforgiving to a rotting corpse, so the virus lay dormant within the infected until the warmer temperatures rolled back around.

No one understood how the fuck a virus could posses survival tactics. But somehow, it did. This discovery resulted in a continental panic as other overseas countries had long shut down communications with North America, fearing that the virus would spread even further since it decimated the West practically unchecked.

And well, they were right.

Those who carried abroad the virus before the continental quarantine had done exactly what they feared.

The government couldnt give up though. They kept promising that things would get better after they found a cure and they pleaded with survivors to hold on as long as possible and keep themselves safe until calvary came.

Easier said than done. Especially when said from behind an armoured encampment.

They'd set up a forum on an emergency outreach network (_EON) _for survivors. The leaders of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico combined their military strength and their medical prowess to create a super base of defense. They figured that since the borders were shit—people had been fleeing between the countries like raving lunatics—that their best chances at redemption were to work together for the entire continent. They sent teams of soldiers and scientists to get supplies moved to whereever survivors were, including non-perishable food stocks, water, medical kits, netbooks that could access the _EON,_ and even recruiting soldiers for the cause. These teams seemed like a good idea at first, until their first mission of quarantining large cities started to result in massive casualties. Minimal training had been the cause of a ton of failed efforts, and even an outbreak at one of their high security bases. For that reason, the recruitment efforts halted and people were left for fend for themselves.

It was literal madness.

—AP—

Quinn groaned as her eyes registered the brightness filtering into her room. Spring was right around the corner, but the bright sun conflicted harshly with the cold mornings and blinding snow. She blinked and fought to adjust to the fact that she'd left the curtains open last night in her haste to get to bed. She heard a snore to her right and turned her head to look at her bed mate. When she realized who it was, she groaned again in frustration, and pushed herself up to close the curtains.

She and Mike had gotten in late last night, again sneaking around to find factions to trade with. They needed more hunting gear and bullets, but had a surplus of powdered food for the month. Quinn didn't like feeding that shit to her kid, and Rachel wouldn't touch the stuff for various reasons. She claimed that none of it was natural and therefore it was hardly edible, to Quinn's everlasting irritation. So they had to find a way to eat fresh every day and hunting and fishing was a way of life by now. The area luckily offered an abundance of wildlife for them to hunt. Unfortunately not everything went down with an arrow.

They'd found what they needed trading through a black market set up a few miles outside Algonquin. They needed to be careful because running around in the dark wasn't safe by any means. Not only were there sick people who had become desperate in their deaths, but there were hostiles who simply enjoyed the lawlessness of the new world. People were robbed, kidnapped, and killed daily. They had to make sure their home was protected in their absence, that it wasn't discovered by rogue hostile groups, and that they were safe and sneaky enough to get to the market and back unharmed.

Quinn and Mike were simply the best for the job. Rachel hadn't liked that either.

The teams had basically switched. Quinn and Mike took on most of the trading and supply runs, and subsequently usually faced the most danger. Sam and Santana took care of the house, making sure their land was secure. They often did a lot of the hunting and fishing together and Sam had even aquired them some wild Canadian horses. Being originally from Tennessee _had_ ironically made him familiar with horses. They had been a godsend since there was no gas for their vehicles anymore, but there were only three of them. The last team of Rachel and Jesse took care of most of their domestic chores and watched Beth.

Quinn stretched and felt her bones crack. She had a lingering fear that all the stress that her body was enduring so soon after her recovery would eventually bite her in the ass. Rachel was constantly arguing with her about over exerting herself but there was shit to be done. They'd been fighting constantly and waking up next to Mike—although fully clothed and with a respectable sleeping distance between them—only echoed the rift between them. She'd been spending most of her time with Mike these days, whether out of necessity or convenience she wasn't sure. She finished her stretches and kicked off her boots. She then reached over and removed Mike's while he slept on unaware. She then tossed their shoes next to the bed and made her way out into the hall.

She first went to where she thought Beth would be. When she and Mike had returned the night before, Beth and Sam were passed out in front of the television with the _Looney Tunes _Dvd repeating its menu in the background. Quinn had clicked the Tv off but left them undisturbed. When she located them, they were exactly as she left them. Except now, she was amused that Sam had been delegated a mattress since Quinn wasn't home to fill that role. Beth was sleeping soundly on Sam's back as he snored deeply. Beth tiny body rose with each of his inhales, and fell with each exhale. Quinn could see how it would be calming for Beth, and couldn't help the rise of affection for Sam for allowing her daughter to get comfortable on him. She smiled as she lifted the tiny body into her arms and nudged Sam awake.

Sam lifted his head in question and smiled when he saw Quinn standing above him. "How'd it go last night?"

Quinn shifted Beth in her arms. "It went well. We traded a case of that powdered beef shit for a case of ammo."

"That's awesome." Sam chuckled. It really was. "We're pretty good on Buck meat and frozen tuna at the moment so get rid of all that shit. I kinda like the powdered chicken though."

Quinn hummed. "We'll keep the chicken for just in case we get into a shortage. They seemed happy to get what we gave them though. I wonder if they even know there's a supply drop so close by."

Sam flopped over onto his back. "Even if they did, the soldiers won't supply black market dealers. Check out the _EON_ later, there's news about hostiles attacking the supply groups to steal the goods and put a high price on'em."

Quinn didn't know that. She hadn't had time to spend with her kid in the past few days, let alone check the forum. Maybe she'd get to that tonight.

"Alright Sammy, thanks for looking out for my little bug here." Quinn smiled.

Sam returned it. "She's awesome Quinn. She chills and watches cartoons with me. She reminds me of Stacy... " he trailed off. Quinn reached out and squeezed his shoulder. Sam sighed and pasted his smile back on. "I'll chill with her anytime, you know that."

Quinn knew how much he missed his family. They all missed their families.

Quinn placed a kiss on Beth's sleepy head. Beth wiggled a little in her arms and she carried her off to find Rachel.

Rachel was angry with her when she'd left the previous night, and she hadn't seen her when she returned. She browsed the house with Beth on her hip in search of her girlfriend. Rachel wasn't in any of the common areas or the kitchen, so Quinn made her last stop at the bedroom Santana and Jesse shared. When she slowly opened the door and peeked inside, her eyes widened.

—AP—

Santana was warm. She couldn't help but smile softly in her sleep because she was ridiculously comfortable. She was aware that she was slowly waking up but was valiently fighting against being forced to face the world outside her blankets. She shifted slightly and her eyes shot wide open when she felt.. _it._

_It_ was _Jesse. _More specifically, Jesse's _junk. _He was molded into her back and _it_ was pressing into her ass. She attempted to shift again but unfortunately a clingy little _Berry _was molded to her front. She remembered comforting Rachel the night before and it unfortunately wasn't unusual for Rachel to fall asleep in her arms lately. She and Quinn had been at odds with just about everything. But right now, she was trapped between a Berry and a _hard.._

Santana groaned in annoyance. Jesse apparantly heard it in his dream and pulled her closer effectively pressing himself even firmer against her shorts.

"_Fuck." _Santana grunted. Right before locking eyes with Quinn as she entered the room.

"What the hell, Santana?" Quinn hissed at her. Santana frowned and ignored her for a more _pressing _problem.

"Jesse!" She grunted. Jesse moaned in his sleep and shifted again. "Jesse, I swear to God.."

Jesse murmured and tightened his grip on her hip. Santana's patience ran out and she pulled her head forward and then butted his forehead backwards, instantly waking him from the pain.

"Ahh! What the hell?" he whined.

Quinn chuckled, realizing the situation and sympathizing with Santana momentarily.

"Get off, ass!" Santana yelled.

Jesse seemed to realized their intimate positioning and frantically rolled away a bit to quickly, resulting in him flying off the side of the bed on onto the floor with a hard thump. "Oww.."

Beth stirred at the commotion. Quinn sat her on the opposite side of the bed nearest her sleeping girlfriend. "Serves you right for groping Tana in her sleep." Quinn laughed.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry Tana.." Jesse said contritely from the floor. He really didn't realize what he was doing, and his feelings were subconciously allowing him to get way too cozy with his friend. "I was asleep, I didn't realize.."

Santana smirked. "Sure, St. James. You totally were trying to get up on this."

Jesse glowed pink. "I.. I promise I wasn't—"

Santana untangled herself from Rachel and reached over the edge to ruffle Jesse's unruly curls. "It's cool _St. Boner. _I'm hot. Quite frankly, it'd be insulted if you didn't get a little worked up sleeping next to _all this." _

Jesse smiled halfheartedly and rose to his feet. He sighed and scratched his neck nervously. "I really am sorry, Santana. I'll consider finding a new sleeping arrangement so that you'll be comfortable." He said before walking out of the room towards the bathroom.

Santana's smile fell as she noticed the discomfort in her friend. She shared a glance with Quinn before watching Jesse dejectly walk away. She then let out an exasperated sigh and fell back into the blankets. Beth giggled at the impact, causing Santana and Quinn to smile at the sleepy toddler.

"What am I gonna do, Q?" Santana groaned. "I know he has feelings for me, and I'm trying so hard to be a friend and be careful with him. This is so complicated I feel like I can't even be in the same room without him stealing longing glances or blatantly ignoring me."

Quinn frowned sadly at her friend before laying down beside Beth and rubbing her tummy. "I don't know. I'm not sure what you can do. I mean even if you weren't a lesbian, that doesn't mean you'd automatically return his feelings. You can't feel obligated or whatever, that's not fair to you."

Santana winced. "I know. Its just so messy now. Before we could cuddle and it'd be _just _cuddling. I miss just being able to chill with him without him freaking out over every little thing and feeling like a predator or a kicked puppy."

"Yeah.." Quinn mused, reaching around Beth to rub Rachel's back. "Maybe just give him a little space? It was like that with Sam and me before he started crushing on Cedes. But your happiness is your priority, you know? You can't be with someone just so you don't hurt them. You're human, you have your own desires."

Santana looked over at Quinn and noticed her slowly gravitating towards Rachel. "She was so mad at you, Q" she giggled softly. "She mentioned wanting to smack you upside your fading pink head."

Beth rolled over and started to play with Rachel's hair.

Quinn smiled. "I can imagine. The trip was successful though. We got a lot of ammo. I know she gets worried but you guys are my priority" she murmurered, tickling Beth as the baby smiled around her pacifier. "I should probably talk to her later, although I'm sure she's listening to me right now." Quinn said, leaning down to bury her face into Rachel's neck with a teasing smile.

Rachel snorted. "Shhh! I'm sleeping."

Beth was amused by the action and giggled, losing her pacifier in the process. Quinn passed the baby to Santana so she could mold herself to Rachel's back. "You still mad at me, baby?" She smiled into Rachel's hair.

"Yes." Rachel giggled. "I'm furious. But I might be bribed to forgive you if we can spend some time together tonight."

Santana laughed. "Well I'd love to chat in bed all morning _Faberry,_ but Sam and I are late tending the horses." She said as she rose from the bed and stretched. "Feel free to get the fuck out of my bed soon."

Quinn laughed as Rachel glared. "How about you stay out of bed with my girl, bitch." Quinn snarked.

Santana scoffed, "Bitch, _your girl _came to me. I don't blame her though, I'll keep her _warm_ whenever she likes." Santana winked at an irritated Rachel.

"Okay shut up." Rachel growled. "You two are so annoying. And please try to watch your language around Beth!"

"Bitch!" Beth squealed.

Santana cackled as she exited the room as Rachel glared at Quinn. Quinn smiled sheepishly. "Beth, sweetie.. don't say that word, okay?"

"Tana bitch?" Beth asked innocently.

Quinn doubled over in hysterics as Rachel groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had to prepare breakfast anyway, so she got up and stretched. "I'm going to let you deal with erasing your profanity from my baby sister's vocabulary, Quinn."

"I'm on it, baby" Quinn smiled. "If you'll agree to talk to Jesse."

Rachel groaned. "Fine. But fix _that, _Quinn."

Beth smiled. "Bitch!" Quinn snorted.


	2. You Shrug It Off Except That You Don't

Quinn and Mike were sitting against the headboard of her bed, their legs stretched out and the netbook in Quinn's lap and Mike pressed into her side so they could both see the screen. The _EON _was a forum set up on an emergency server, which supplied warnings, information about supply drops, pinboards for messages, and detailed descriptions and photos of viral mutations to look out for.

It was also a place where 60% of the content was people bitching and moaning about the lost world. Which—Quinn could understand... it just wasn't very productive behavior.

"Oh, sick.." Mike groaned as his eyes landed on a photo of someone's leg hanging from their hip by a thread of flesh. Quinn winced. That did look all kinds of disgusting.

"That's.. unfortunate." She said. They scrolled through the useless posts and found the one Sam mentioned earlier about the pirates.

"I know that its... _awful _to take advantage of this situation. But can you imagine how much of a profit the pirates make?" Mike mused.

Quinn hummed. "I bet they get a good chunk. Desperation makes people do crazy things..."

She continued to scroll through with Mike until she heard a throat being cleared by the door. She and Mike looked up to see Rachel with an unamused look on her face. Mike moved to get up, but Quinn returned her eyes to the screen, not bothering to acknowledge Rachel's presence at the moment.

Mike shifted awkwardly, "Okay.. Quinn we'll talk some more in the morning. Have a nice night. You too, Rachel." He then parted with an uneasy smile.

Rachel was silent until she clicked the door shut behind him. She twisted the lock and learned against it with a sigh, and quietly watched Quinn from her position. Quinn diligently ignored her, consistently scrolling and reading the content on the computer screen.

They were both waiting for Rachel to speak first. But what she said surprised both of them.

"I love you." She whispered.

Quinn paused in her actions and her face softened. She sighed and shut the laptop and looked at Rachel. Rachel looked tired, like she hadn't been sleeping, and Quinn honestly had no idea whether she had been or not. She'd been too busy the past few nights to find out.

"I love you too, Rachel." Quinn replied. "Where's Beth?"

Rachel felt a huge weight lifted off her chest to hear Quinn return the sentiment. She knew it was irrational thinking that Quinn wouldn't love her anymore because of all their arguments, but she had to admit she'd been afraid that they were pushing each other away. "Jesse and Sam are entertaining her. When I left the game room, they were attempting to teach her how to play poker."

Quinn grinned. Jesse _would _try to corrupt her kid with gambling. She noticed Rachel was tense and timid still leaning against the door. Quinn knew exactly how they'd gotten to this point but she didn't have a clue how to fix it. She and Rachel didn't have time to explore each other before being throw into this situation, the trust they needed to build not having a chance to grow before they were forced to rely on each other for survival. Quinn can't remember the last time they talked without it being about what needed to be done or where Quinn and Mike were going. Rachel had been slightly more on edge _because _of Mike getting to spend more time with her girlfriend than she did, and somewhere deep in the recesses of Quinn's mind she felt the same about Jesse. It just.. _shit needed to be done_. And their relationship drama took a back seat, causing unresolved tension to make a home between the two of them.

Quinn lifted her arms, inviting Rachel. "Come're"

Rachel's chin trembled, and her eyes blinked away tears before she found herself gravitating towards Quinn's embrace. She couldn't help it. Just being in Quinn's arms felt so much different than being without her. They were somehow adjusting to their new lives, trying valiantly to stay a step ahead of the game, but Rachel knew that without Quinn, everything would be devastatingly different. She couldn't do this without Quinn. She could have the support of the entire world, but without Quinn? It just didn't seem possible.

She wasn't sure if that was unhealthy dependence or not, but quite frankly she had no fucks to give.

Quinn held Rachel tightly in her lap, and rubbed her back as she breathed harshly against her. "Its okay, baby." She spoke into Rachel's hair, and she felt Rachel shaking with the force to fight back her tears. Quinn shushed her anyway, and gently rocked them.

"How do you do it Quinn? How do you...?" Rachel asked shakily.

Quinn sighed. "Rachel..."

"I just don't understand. Everytime you go, I feel my heart breaking with the fear that you wont return. Then what? What would I do? What would Beth do? How would we survive without you? Do you ever—don't you ever consider that?"

Quinn bit back the anger that would lead to yet another argument and just squeezed Rachel tighter. Of course she thinks of that. She's haunted by the thought that she would fail to protect Rachel and Beth. Rachel knows this! She tossed all the frustration aside to comfort her girlfriend and respond in a calm manner.

"Of course I do," She paused to rid the tone. "I am trying my best here. I'm 19, Rachel. This is.. I'm trying to do whatever I can to provide security and safety to a group of seven. I know what you want, you want me to take a back seat and let someone else take over.. like Jesse, or Mike—but for selfish reasons." She felt Rachel shift to interrupt but squeezed her tighter and powered forward. "Yes, Rachel. You don't want one of them to lead us because you think they'd be better for the job—if I thought they would be, I promise you, I'd step aside—but you want me to remove myself from the line of fire, and hide behind someone less qualified to get the job done."

She felt Rachel begin to cry into her neck, and she knew Rachel understood. She knew she had been right. Rachel was afraid. She was afraid to be without Quinn. If she were completely honest, she knew she would be hurt to lose any other member of their family. But she didn't _need _them like she needed Quinn. She didn't _love _them they way that she loved Quinn. It was selfish, but how could she help it?

Quinn held her, hoping against hope that if she just let her cry they could avoid the screaming tonight and actually get some sleep. Quinn really needed to go over their stock of ammo but she could let Mike do it or something. Rachel needed her and she had been putting the needs of the group before Rachel's needs, and that's something she wanted to avoid tonight.

"I love you, Rachel." She whispered into Rachel's ear. "I know I always have, and I always will. Its in my nature to protect you. I know its in yours too, and that's why it hurts so much. But you have to know, baby, that I'm going to do everything in my power to keep us together, safe and sound."

"I know..." Rachel sniffed.

"Then stop crying, sweet girl. We'll get through this."

She felt Rachel nodding against her as she calmed, and felt relieved that they'd avoided conflict tonight. Twenty minutes later, she was rubbing Rachel's back beneath her shirt, and smiled when she felt Rachel squirming.

"What do you need, baby?" Quinn asked, looking into dark brown eyes.

Rachel slid her hands under Quinn's shirt, and scratched her abs lightly. "You."

—AP—

Mike was getting anxious. He was sitting in the kitchen alone while the other half of their group—_plus Beth_—watched a movie. He'd never once questioned his position in their group but as the weeks went by, he'd been feeling more and more like he didn't belong. This wasn't his _family. _They _were _family, but they weren't _his._ He was plagued by thoughts of his mother and father, and of Tina, and of what he so desperately wanted to do. The only thing stopping him was the niggling fact that he had a place, and a responsibility to these people. They _were _family, and they needed him. He was also slightly paranoid that Quinn _knew._ He'd been spending so much time with her lately that he would be surprised if she hadn't read it all over his face by now. She had to know.

He wanted to leave them.

He just.. God. He loved these people. He knew they needed him. But what if... what if Tina needs him? What if his father isn't there for his mom? But then, what if they're... what if he left only to find they didn't make it? Then, he would be alone. He could... _die, _alone. At least here, he knew... he knew his friends here were okay, but what of his family? Tina?

Without him, Quinn would need support in supply runs. Santana or Sam could do it. He didn't think Jesse or Rachel would be able to handle the ruthlessness of the traders but.. Santana? She'd endured Coach Sylvester for years. Mike had to double take sometimes when Head Cheerleader Quinn would make an appearance during a transaction and she'd completely dominate the deal. Most of these guys didn't really know what they were doing. They'd just hardened to adapt to the new world they lived in. But Quinn... this stuff was almost second nature to her. And its only because he knew her heart that he knew it wasn't _her_ at all, but a survival instinct she fell back on. She could—_potentially_—handle it should he decide to leave. Of course, dynamics would shift being a man down but.. they could make it.

But.. what if... what if his absense caused a weak spot? There were no second chances out here. If his leaving had the direct result of leaving them vulnerable and something happened—something that wouldn't have if he were there? Mike would never forgive himself.

He wrenched his fingers through his growing hair and let out a frustrated whine. Could he really do this? Could he leave these people, that have welcomed him and provided him safety and comfort for months? Could he really abandon this family, for a family that might not even—

"Hey dude, you okay?" Sam asked. Mike heard him pull up a chair and land in it beside him.

Mike sighed. "Yeah man, I'm just... tired."

Sam put a hand on his shoulder in support. "Yeah I bet, you and Quinn have been working nights for a while, eh?" Sam squeezed his shoulder playfully. "If you want, you can have my 7am shovelling horse shit and being kicked in the chest, and Ill go play cowboy for a while."

Mike's eyes widened as he turned towards Sam. "You've been kicked in the chest by one of the horses?! Sam, you need to let me look at that! You could've broken a rib or something!"

Sam chuckled and rubbed his chest. "Not a horse, _Santana_," he joked. "I came up behind her with a water pail for the horses, while she thought I was inside the barn. She reacted. I was sort of proud, you know, that she was quick to protect herself. Underneath the freezing water and the bootprint in my chest, that is."

Mike laughed. "You snuck up on her?"

"Unintentionally I guess. The water pail was just heavy, so I guess I wasn't focused on talking. But, she _did_ run me a warm bath and finished my chores for me that morning. It was incredibly sweet, coming from her. Even though it was after she'd assaulted me."

Mike chuckled at the tale, and felt himself relax a little. Sam had become his best friend so quickly. He wondered how he was handling being away from his family. Sam was somewhat of a lone wolf. From the day Mike met him, he'd always been an individual. He never seemed like the type of guy who was comfortable with it, but had adapted to being alone because that's where society placed him. But when he found people who accepted him—dyslexia, nerdiness, eating disorder, ADD, and all—Sam didn't hesitate to absorb the feeling of belonging. He'd finally found his place. Mike knew that they'd be friends for a long time. He'd even dedicated his free time to helping Sam with his schoolwork so he could get into a good college. Then, Sam could get a career and wouldn't have to worry about the financial woes that plagued his parents.

All of that felt so long ago.

"If you ever need to talk, you know?" Sam said, with a furrow in his brow.

Mike couldn't help but smile. "Yeah man—_of course,_ bro. You too. Anytime."

Sam seemed satisfied with that, and filled a plastic bottle with water from the sink. He smiled as he headed back to the group and their movie.

Mike closed his eyes, and rested his head on the table. _Maybe I should stay.._

—AP—

Jesse was making airplane noises while he held a squealing Beth into the air. Santana was watching them as they played. _He'd make a great dad, _she thought, and smiled when Beth's squeals because loud giggles.

"Alright, alright." Jesse smiled at Beth. "The airplane has to come in for a landing!"

He slowly lowered Beth onto his stomach, as she made _landing noises_ until she sat comfortably atop him. She bounced on him and yelled "Again! Again!"

"Ohh no, little Miss." Santana intervened. Jesse probably would play all night. "Its past your bed time. I'm surprised Quinn and Rachel haven't come for you yet." She said, scooping Beth up to take her.

"I don't want bedtime!" Beth frowned.

"Are you sure about that Munchkin?" Santana said playfully, raising an eyebrow. Beth copied the gesture. "Because you know, before bedtime you get a story. I thought you liked stories."

Beth seemed to consider this. She _loved_ stories! But the subsequent bedtime? Notsomuch. Santana laughed as Beth visibly debated the merits of storytime versus bedtime in her little mind.

She carried Beth to Quinn and Rachel's door, and knocked quietly when she discovered it locked. She knew they were both inside and wondered briefly if they were fit to take Beth, or if she should just keep her tonight. Soon though, the door opened and Quinn was there to accept her package.

"Hi baby," Quinn smiled. "Thanks, Tana." She reached out to recieve Beth.

"On second thought, I could keep her Quinn. I'm sure she'll be down right after a story." Santana offered with a wink.

"No, its fine. I want to spend time with her." Quinn replied. "I haven't seen my bug in forever." She nuzzled her nose into Beth's hair.

Santana smiled and watched as Quinn scurried about, getting Beth ready for bed. Beth made little comments about her favorite story, and requested that Quinn give her a bottle. Santana followed Quinn into the kitchen to prepare one. She'd noticed that Rachel was sleeping soundly so took the opportunity to talk outside the room.

"So, everything okay?"

Quinn released a puff of air and twisted the cap into the bottle, handing it to the baby girl on her hip. "She's.. she'll _be _okay. She's just still fighting the way things are. She's having a hard time figuring out how to handle worrying about me, with me basically facing danger head on everytime I step outside."

Santana nodded. "You know, I worry about you too. I wish you'd let me help."

Quinn smiled. "Santana, you've always been there for me—"

"I always will be."

"I know." Quinn sighed. "But I've accepted what I have to do. I'm not going to say I don't get scared, because I do. Sometimes I can feel myself trying to check out, and I—I fight it. I know it can happen again.. I could check out mentally or my body can quit on me and—I get scared. But... I know that even if that happens, you're there to hold things down in my absense, should I need you to."

Santana crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't—Quinn, don't _go _there. I can't—I can't even.." she trailed off with a frown.

"You're strong too, you know?" Quinn shifted Beth in her arms and watched as Beth drained her bottle, eyes drooping. "I couldn't have made it this far without you. You've been there since the beginning, Santana. We've made it through everything, together."

Santana stared at a crack in the floor tile, before raising her eyes to look over Beth, until they landed on clear hazel. "This too shall pass, huh?"

Quinn gave her a sad smile. "Yeah, it shall."

—AP—

Santana walked into her room, and noticed the bathroom light was on under the door. She figured Jesse must be inside, getting ready for bed. She sat down on _her side_ and waited patiently for him to finish, hoping this wouldn't be awkward.

When he walked out, he noticed her sitting there and immediately started to apologize "Oh—forgive me, Santana. I'll be out of your way, I just needed to—"

"Jesse," she began. "Is it selfish of me to ask you to stay?"

Jesse gulped nervously. He cautiously took a seat beside her and scratched at his neck. "I—I've not been in a situation such as this, Santana. I don't know the proper etiquette here. Do you... _want _me here?"

Santana sighed, looking at him with soft coal eyes. "I want my friend, Jesse. I need _him_."

Jesse nodded. "You have him."

They both awkwardly got into bed, with a respectable amount of space between them. Santana wished he would hold her, but didn't want to push. After ten minutes lying there in tense silence, Jesse rolled towards her and pulled her into his chest.

"I'm sorry Tana. I need my friend too." He said.

"Thank you." She whispered before they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: So I was in the editing stages for this fic and I had a dream and I just HAD to go back and add a scene that kind of shifted the entire second half of the fic, so uploading may be a bit delayed for this one. I've already begun the outline for the last installment of this trilogy series, so it will get uploaded, I promise. I've never been so excited and proud of a story before you guys! Please, reviews are so helpful. Tell me what you like or what you don't. And always, thanks for reading! :)


	3. I Live Low I Lisp I die

"Waychoo?"

Rachel felt tiny soft hands squeezing her cheeks. She kept her eyes closed, but smiled.

"Waaaaychooo... wake up!"

She tried to keep up the sleeping act, but she knew if she played too long Beth would lose interest and get into something else, or get agitated and start crying. So she opened one eye towards her baby sister.

"Hiii!" Beth smiled. "Wanna get up!"

"Shhh!" Rachel giggled, pointing at Quinn.

Beth tilted her head cutely. "Quinn get up too!" She decided.

Quinn groaned and shifted in her sleep. Beth and Rachel giggled. Rachel shook her head and silently lifted her finger to her lips, communicating with Beth to stay quiet. Beth repeated the action and smiled.

Rachel reached over Quinn and ran a gentle finger tip across her cheek. Quinn reached up at the sensation and swatted herself in the face. Rachel and Beth giggled, again. Quinn's brow furrowed. Beth crawled across Rachel to reach Quinn, and with a not so gentle chubby finger, poked her cheek. Quinn's eyes blinked open and she saw smiling baby face two inches from her nose. Beth squealed and tried to crawl back past Rachel, but Quinn was quick and caught her around her little waist, dragging her back across. Beth screamed, she knew what this would lead to! A tickle attack!

Quinn delighted in the peals of laughter coming from her daughter. Beth was wiggling around wildly, trying to escape Quinn's relentless fingers. After a minute or two of tickle torture, she knew she'd need to get up and Beth changed. _It's past time to potty train her, _Quinn thought.

"Morning, my girls." Quinn said, sitting up and running and hand through her unruly head.

"Morning, Quinn," they replied simultaneously. Quinn chuckled.

"I've got to go get breakfast started," Rachel said. "Hopefully Jesse is up. I'm sure Santana and Sam are already out back."

Quinn hummed. "Can I have a kiss?"

Rachel beamed and leaned over to kiss Quinn's waiting lips. When she pulled away, she saw Beth's little lips puckered up and waiting for _her_ kiss. Rachel and Quinn laughed as she placed a small peck on Beth's lips as well.

As Rachel headed downstairs, Quinn got Beth changed and into a onesie. She had some free time today, since she and Mike scored so big nights back, that she could maybe use the time to start Beth's potty training after breakfast. Only, they didn't exactly have a potty for her to train with_. That _was a dilemma.

—AP—

Sam tapped his fingers on the wooden gate as he watched Santana walk one of the horses around to work its muscles. He never imagined Santana would be into something like this, but she really seemed to enjoy taking care of them.

"Why don't you name him?" Sam asked, yelling so she could hear him yards away.

Santana headed back towards him and shrugged her shoulders. "What we would name him? All I can think of is _Bling._ Does he look like a Bling to you?"

Sam laughed "I dunno. I'd name him something like _Captain America _or _Tony Stark,_ but it seems sorta wrong to name a Canadian Horse that. You're usually good with the nicknames.."

Santana smirked. "I am, aren't I?" She pulled the horse back over to where they had the other two tied to the fence. "Okay, how about this? This one's _Finnocence, _but for short, we'll call him _Finn." _Sam snorted, and Santana moved to the second brown horse and pointed to it, "this one's _Count Boozie von Drunkaton, _but for short, we'll call him _Schue,_"

"Naturally," Sam smiled.

Santana reached up and stroked the mane of the third horse. Her demeanor changed from joking to solemn, as she regarded the steed. "This one.. this one is _Suckerman._"

Sam noticed her sad expression and felt himself slip into unease. They hadn't heard from any of their other friends and they all worried about them, even Mr. Schue.

"Do you think they made it?" Santana whispered. She didn't have a close friendship with Finn, Puck, or Schue, but she hoped they would be safe.

Sam frowned. Last he'd heard of Puck, the guy was arrested for trying to pick up a prostitute. The authorities were actually trying to track a john but Puck was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and was also busted for under-aged drinking. It had gotten around McKinley because most of the football players knew him and still hung out with him. He'd unfortunately solidified his fate as a Lima loser. Finn had joined the Army at a base in Georgia, so he'd probably be okay. No one had heard from him since, so Sam hoped he'd completed training there and become a soldier to maybe help fight some of these things and uphold order. They weren't close but, he wished the best for him, even after everything. Mr. Schue.. well.. he'd been at school the day before Quinn, Rachel, and Santana came to town...

"They're strong, and they're brave. I'm sure they're surviving out there like we're doing here." Sam responded. He wasn't sure he believed it, but he hoped it was true.

Santana nodded. She knew it was likely they hadn't. She was also super afraid for Brittany. She was afraid last year that Britt would have a hard time figuring things out without her there to help. She couldn't even imagine how Brittany would manage to survive this. So she decided not to think about it. She grabbed the reigns on the horse she'd dubbed _Suckerman _and untied him for his walk. Until, she changed her mind and mounted him for a ride. She needed to clear her head of all the dreadful outcomes she was imagining for their friends.

—AP—

"Okay Bethie, you're gonna drink this apple juice. Then in a little while, when you have to potty, you're gonna tell me, okay?" Quinn said, her eyes connecting with another pair of hazel.

Beth nodded.

Quinn returned to the book. "According to this we should have it down in a week or so. You ready?"

Beth nodded again.

Quinn handed her the juice, and brought her to the TV to watch a Spongebob Dvd. She sat on the coffee table right in front of Beth, and stared at her. Beth stared back from her spot on the couch and smiled. _Now, the waiting game._

—AP—

Mike was on the _EON_. He'd been reading through the posts in hopes of something helpful popping up, maybe a tip of how things were progressing in Ohio. So far, most of the chaos had been from the major cities: New York, Los Angelos, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, but there were a few posts from Columbus and Dayton. Seems like they were trying to set up the camps again. Mike shook his head, _if at first you don't succeed._

There were a couple of warnings about a strain of the virus that induced rage within its host, and a few pictures of victims with bloodshot eyes and bulging neck veins. He wondered who was behind this forum. Why wouldn't they organize it a little better? Add topics and subtopics? The only attempt at organization was that they had a section for each state in the US, and seperate threads for Canada and Mexico. Seeing random pics of gore while searching for information was kind of annoying. Maybe if Artie were here...

Mike felt his breath catch, and decided to forgo that train of thought.

He sighed as he continued scrolling.

—AP—

"We haven't performed a duet in such a long time" Jesse said, as he de-boned a tuna and Rachel measured out four cups of rice and frowned.

"We haven't" she agreed. "I guess we just have other priorities now."

Jesse scroffed. "We have plenty of downtime! The arts must live on Rachel! Its up to us!" He said dramatically, causing her to giggle.

"You're right, there's clearly no excuse for our neglect."

"Exactly." Jesse smirked. "We even have Sam's guitar. I don't know how to play guitar, but maybe Sam would be interested in accompanying us."

Rachel nodded. "I'm sure he would love that. You weren't there when he joined Glee because you were already in California, but he is a very enthusiastic performer." Rachel snickered, "especially when he proposed Justin Beiber week."

Jesse frowned, "Who?"

"Justin Beiber. He's a pop singer. You wouldn't know of him." Rachel said, sprinkling a bit of the generic salt they received from a drop, into her rice pot.

Jesse felt something squish between his fingers and glared at the fish corpse he was fiddling with. "This is kind of gross. Usually I love sushi but I never thought of the effort it takes to prepare it."

Rachel distractedly nodded and reached for a can of mixed corn and peas. She couldn't quite grab it on her tippy-toes, so she jumped up and swiped at it, knocking it down with a victory cheer.

Jesse smiled. "Everything okay with you and Quinn now?"

Rachel had begun her search for the can opener, but replied "Yeah, we're fine. I just..."

"You just...?"

Rachel paused as she tried to remember where she put it last. Jesse opened a drawer next to him and pulled it out, handing it to her wordlessly. "You just..?" He repeated.

Rachel frowned at the utensil then looked at her friend. "I just love her so much, you know? I get so worried about her over-exerting herself, pressuring herself and not taking a break, throwing herself into dangerous situations. I just want to protect her, and she's so strongminded."

Jesse snorted. "Met your match?"

"Oh, shut it!" Rachel laughed. She opened the can of vegetables and added them to the rice, before turning down the heat and getting ready to drain the mixture. "How are things between you and Tana? You two working it out?"

Jesse sighed dramatically and hung his head. "We are in such an awkward place Rach. Its all my fault too. I'm just not used to this. Any girl I wanted I could have, at Carmel, UCLA.. McKinley," he winked and she hit him with a hand towel. "I've never had feelings for a girl and not had them at least be curious."

Rachel pouted at him sympathically and reached our to hold his hand. "She just doesn't bat for your team Jesse. You're still very charming, I promise."

Jesse gave her a small smile. "I know. I just, I don't know if its because I cant have her or if its just _her_.. but I don't know how to get rid of these intense feelings. Half of me completely respects her sexuality and wants to get over it, and the other half of me is saying I'm not being romantic enough and that I should stand outside her metaphorical window and serenade her with my love. I'm so new to... what do you call this exactly?"

Rachel giggled at him, but squeezed his hand in sympathy. "Its called _rejection_, honey"

"Re-jec-shun" he said, smacking his lips. "That word tastes absolutely awful."

Rachel smiled sadly at him. "I know, its really sour. But she loves you so much in the platonic sense Jesse. She's a really great friend."

"I know." He sighed. "And I'm honored to be her friend. I truly am. I've always felt honored to know you and Quinn as well. I'm extremely lucky to have you ladies in my life."

Rachel kissed his cheek and frowned down at his fish. "Jesse... what did you do to it?"

Jesse looked down at it and shrugged.

—AP—

Sam was worried. Santana had ridden off hours ago and she still hadn't returned. He hopped up on _Finnoncence _and headed out in the direction he last saw her. He hoped he'd be able to find her before someone came out and wondered where they were. It wasn't unusual for them to be outdoors all day, but they'd always made it back before sundown and dinner. When he and _Finn _came up on the tree line, he pulled on the reigns, at first hesitant to venture inside. He checked to ensure that his weapon was secure on his hip and that it had ammo, and let out a deep breath as he entered the dark forestry.

Sam remembered that his grandfather Raymond told him that horses get spooked easily, so if they're scared there's probably a threat you can't sense as well as they can. Sam kept that in mind as he lead the horse deeper into the brush. _Finn _was rather calm, so Sam allowed himself to relax just a bit and focus on surveying his surroundings. He hoped Santana was on her way back and she'd run into him. Otherwise, he'd never find her. These woods were huge and natural. There were no man made paths that he could indentify. So he just stayed on the one he was on and prayed for the best.

After half an hour, Sam started to worry. He hadn't seen a trace of Santana. He was about ready to turn back and alert the others beofre he heard a faint voice, yelling. The snow crunched under _Finn's _furry hooves, so he halted him slow trot. He trained his ears to listen and heard it again. It had to be her.

He led _Finn _towards the voice and startled when he saw her, sitting atop _Suckerman _and glancing down a ravine. He called out to her softly so he wouldn't startle her—_he'd learned that lesson—_but she jumped a little anyway. She turned in his direction and he stopped his horse near hers.

"Santana, what are you—"

He stopped speaking abruptly when he saw them. There were two zombies down there, stuck in the mud. The snow around the water was gross and muddy and he suspected it was probably contaminated with them in it now. He turned to look at Santana and raised his eyebrows in question.

"I was debating whether or not I should kill them, but I don't think its wise to shoot them because of the noise. Did you happen to bring a machete?" Santana drawled.

Sam was stunned. She was being so casual about it. He still hadn't killed anything other than food but he remembered that she'd been the first in their group. He wondered where these had come from and how they hadn't found any on their hunting excursion.. which.. _wait_..

"Santana, are these the only ones?" He asked softly.

Santana looked at him with foggy eyes. It was like she'd taken drugs or something. "No. I've killed three others. Its kinda why we're short on arrows. I have to dispose of them safely so we don't catch... _it."_

Sam's eyes widened. When did she have time to kill and dispose of bodies? "When?"

Santana glanced back down into the ravine. The zombies weren't struggling, exactly. They were kind of just looking up at them and... waiting.. like they thought Sam and Santana would come to them.

"I find them when we hunt. You hunt for food. I hunt for them."

Sam looked to the sky and exhaled. He had no idea what to do with this information. He'd have to talk to Quinn. "Alright, well.. I don't have a machete with me. I didn't plan on killing anything when I followed you. Since they're stuck right now, they'll most likely re-freeze tonight. They don't need to be dealt with right now." Sam urged. "Let's head back."

Santana looked like she was debating it, then clicked her tongue and said "guess you'll die another day."

Sam wanted to laugh at the reference but honestly he was a little creeped out by the situation.

—AP—

Quinn chuckled lightly as she watched Patrick demand his bar of chocolate back after eating it. Beth had fallen asleep in her lap a while ago and left her to watch Spongebob on her own. So far their efforts had been... somewhat successful because after the third bottle, Beth had alerted Quinn of her need to potty but they didn't make it to the potty before she went in the pull up. Quinn had changed her and decided to call it a day. The baby book said that patience was a virtue and that forcing it would only set them back further. It was only day one, after all, and Beth was an intelligent girl.

Now, she was giggling at the antics of Spongebob and Patrick while Beth napped on her chest, rubbing her daughters back.

Rachel and Jesse came in and joined them on the sofa. Rachel sat pressed up against Quinn, and gave her and Beth each a quick kiss. Jesse seemed delighted at the cartoon and was instantly immersed in it.

"I love this one! I think Spongebob is one of Nickelodeon's more superior animations. After my generation, the cartoons got a little weird and lackluster." Jesse stated.

Quinn agreed.

"Would you like me to take her, honey? I'll lay her down until dinner. She can get an hour or so nap in." Rachel asked.

Quinn craned her head to kiss Beth's warm cheek. "No, thanks, but I want to hold her. I don't get enough time with her. And before you say it, Mike and I are good for now and wont need to visit the market until we need something else."

Rachel smiled to herself and turned her attention back to the screen. She felt Quinn lean over and kiss her cheek.

"Dinner is pretty much done. I am letting it stay warm in the oven because Sam and Santana aren't back yet." Rachel said.

"Where'd they go? And where's Mike? As far as I know he's here—isn't he?" Quinn asked.

"He's upstairs. He's been on the _EON _all day." Jesse said.

Quinn closed her eyes and sighed. She _knew _what he was up to. She hoped he'd eventually change his mind.

The door opened and shortly after Sam and Santana walked in, finding spots on the couches. Sam looked like he was anxious about something, but Santana looked calm. Quinn was a little thrown by their juxtaposed behavior. She hoped if wasn't another issue for the group.

"Everything okay, you two?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Santana leaned back into the cushions and crossed her legs. "Everything's gravy, Q. Speaking of gravy, Berry, where's the food?"

Sam fiddled with his hands.

"The food is ready and waiting Santana. We can all head to the kitchen after Mike is retrieved." Rachel replied.

—AP—

Mike's eyes were a little tired, not used to scouring a laptop screen all day since.. well, just not used to it anymore. He was actually getting ready to sign off and head down towards dinner but as soon as he made the decision to stop, one of the Ohio posts caught his attention. It was old, maybe a month or so, but he instantly begun to ready it as his heart pounded in his chest.

_To those in Lima who have relocated with our group in Columbus, be forewarned. The mil* is not on our side. Recently, our Leader RFabray got into an argument with a soldier who refused to help transport my friend. Said he was a burden to the group because he was in a wheelchair. RFabray wouldn't accept this, and neither would the rest of us, so we were all turned away to fend for ourselves. Don't trust them. We have all lost loved ones. They are willing to force us to choose between those we still have, for convenience._

-_vampcchang94_

Mike's heart stopped. He knew that username anywhere.

"Tina.."

* * *

A/N: I'm on the last chapter of this bad boy, and am already outlining the final installment "Alice in Chains". If you haven't already, go listen to _Alice Practice_ by Crystal Castles. I swear every time I write on this fic that song is on repeat in my head because the theme is just perfect. Thanks for reading and please review. :)_  
_


	4. Bled with Deadbeats

Mike didn't get any sleep at all. He was constantly thinking about what he needed to do to survive on his own, whether to tell the group or just disappear in the dark of night, and where Tina could be since a month had passed since that post. Before, it'd only been an abstract thought to leave the group, to be revisited within a few weeks but now? Now he knew Tina had gotten out of Lima. She had survived.. and she might need him. _He_ needed _her. _He let a few tears slide down his cheeks because he was terrified. He was going to leave the safety and comfort of the only family he's had since this all began. He was betraying them. He was going to be alone.

He heard the creaking wood beneath light footsteps that indicated that someone was awake. He laid completely still and breathed deeply feigning sleep, so that they wouldn't bother him in his distress. They'd only ask questions. But what he heard only raised _his _curiosity.

He lifted his head to peak over the arm of the couch pull-out he was on when he heard a duffle bag zipper. He watched discreetly as Santana packed it carefully and then haulted it over her shoulder. _She's not leaving the group, is she? _He thought, before realizing that's all she was taking with her, and wasn't suited for a solo journey. He laid back down as she prepared to leave and he heard the door shut softly behind her. He had no idea what she was up to, but he hoped she wouldn't find herself in trouble.

He turned over on his side and tried once again to talk himself out of walking out that door too.

—AP—

Santana trudged through the snow at 5am, wrapped snugly in a Columbia brand sport coat and boots, a beanie hat, and a pair of thick rubber work gloves. She had her machete strapped to her back, underneath her duffle bag of chlorine, heavy duty trash bags, lighter fluid, and a face mask. She wondered why the other sanitation teams didn't bother to properly protect themselves when dealing with the undead corpses. Her gear was free and easy to obtain, since most of the black market groups were looking for more vital things like food, weapons, and medicine. People were just so dumb sometimes.

But Santana was the high maintanence daughter of a doctor. If anyone knew anything about germs, viruses, and infection... it was her. The second time she caught mono her father was adamant that she learn a few things.

And learn she did.

The cold did most of the work but she knew she needed to take every precaution. She'd rather die in a fire than become one of those things. She vowed to herself that if she _did_ go and get herself infected, she'd swallow her fear, look to God and light the flame. But she wasn't going to _let_ that happen.

Sam was going to be all over her now that he'd found out what she'd been up to. It was only a matter of time before he'd tell Quinn, and Quinn would probably overreact and scare the group. They'd think something was wrong with her, that she was mentally sick or.. or something was happening. She didn't need that shit.

See, Santana just had a lot of rage pent up over the situation she was in. She had recurring dreams about her parents and why they hadn't found her yet, she dreamed about Britt being a zombie, she dreamed about Jesse hating her and abandoning her, she dreamed about losing Quinn and having to step up and take care of herself. All these thoughts were overwhelming, and Santana needed an outlet for her anxiety. They'd run out of bud long ago, and she didn't have the medicine she needed to function. Xanax was probably priced llike diamonds these days. So she turned to the one thing that ruined her world to begin with—the zombies.

She'd experienced what it felt like to kill them, and it was so exhilarating. It took all the bad feelings and shot them towards a target, a solution to a problem she couldn't realistically fix. She reasoned in her mind that every re-killed walker was a plus to humanity, and she felt like a super hero. She felt like she finally had control over something, and she was doing something about the situation. One by one, she was hunting them down, even if realistically she was only scratching the surface of an iceberg. She shivered in her boots at the chill, but smiled deviously.

She was headed towards the ravine where she'd found the ones from the day before—where Sam found her on her way back home. She was anxious about leaving them but figured he was right, that they'd freeze over and be ripe for the killing when she got back.

It took almost an hour and a half to get there on foot, but she didn't want to wake the horses or the group, and it was easier to sneak out alone. They wouldn't be getting up until around 9 anyways, so she figured a good four hours was enough time to get the job done.

When she got to the ravine, she smiled as she observed her prey. And wasn't that a darkly humorous thought, that _she_ was the predator now. They'd spent months running from these fuckers when they _should've _been fighting back. But then again, they did have a toddler in their group so maybe it was wise to just lay low and keep moving. But not anymore. Not Santana.

She sat down and prepared herself for the kill. She pulled one of the trash bags out and punched a hole in it so she could fit her head through, protecting her coat from splatter. She then pulled out her machete and laid it beside her in the snow. She got the mask properly fastened to her head, picked up her weapon, and slid down into the ravine. She let out a dark laugh as she sized them up.

"Hmm, I guess Sam was right, huh? You look like a fucking halloween yard mannequin." She sneered, shifting the machete in her grasp. She stood back and lifted her arm for the first swing, hacking into the stiff corpse. There was minimal splatter as the insides were frozen. "Well, that's different. I actually prefer this." She said. "Maybe I'll hunt in the mornings from now on."

She raised the machete again and with all the force she could muster, sliced off its head.

—AP—

The sun was shining when Quinn rose from the bed, her body _for once_ not protesting. It wasn't physical discomfort that made her rise early this morning, but the nagging feeling that some shit was planning on hitting a fan sometime very soon. Mike, Santana, and Sam were all very high on her suspect list, and she found it somewhat funny that Jesse and Rachel—_the most dramatic people she knew_—were not involved in the drama this time. Jesse was probably sprawled out in bed, drooling on his pillow and dreaming about starring in a Sondhiem production. Quinn smiled down at her snoozing girlfriend because she'd bet her last dollar that Rachel was dreaming the _same exact thing._

It was creepy at first, how much alike they were. After she got over the jealousy—okay she didn't _really_ get over it so much as they gave her nothing to be jealous about—she realized that their connection was not unlike her own with Santana. They were just so much alike that they made _fabulous_ friends, and would be close regardless of their failed relationship. She let out a quiet laugh at their group dynamic because Sam and Mike were _BFFs for life _as well. It really worked to their advantage.

Quinn planted a kiss atop Beth's sleeping head, and then whispered one across Rachel's lips before heading towards the shower. She had to be prepared because today—today was about reconnaissance. She had to find out what was going on with their group and then throw the cards on the table at dinner and make them confess everything. Sue Sylvester had some pretty insane methods of interrogation, but Quinn wasn't afraid to use some of her methods of gathering intel. She was head cheerleader, after all. She was exposed to the crazy on a daily basis for long periods of time. She was obviously going to absorb some of it. She stripped herself of her jammies—a tee shirt and some sweats—and immersed her body into the warm water as she planned her attack.

—AP—

When Sam got up, he wasn't surprised to find that Santana wasn't inside the cabin. He figured she'd maybe beaten him out to the horses again for an early start. He briefly thought about what happened between them the day before, but decided not to dwell on it so things wouldn't be awkward this morning. Maybe he could even talk to her about it. He put on his clothes and jacket, and headed out towards the storage room where the horses slept. They couldn't risk tying them up outside leaving them vulnerable, or having them run away, so they were lucky that the storage room was big enough to lock the horses in over night.

"Morning, bro" Sam said as he reached the kitchen. Mike was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of him. It looked like he hadn't even sipped it.

"Morning." Mike grunted.

"Ooookay..." Sam smiled. "I'm heading out back. I think Tana beat me to the horses this morning.. _again._" He said as he fiddled with the coffee maker. He never could quite figure it out so he gave up and sat across from Mike. Mike took pity on him and slid his untouched cup to a grateful Sam. "Thanks."

Mike frowned. "I don't think Santana's—do you need an extra hand?"

Sam raised an eyebrow at the cutoff. "Uh, sure. What don't you think about Santana?" He asked as he sipped the warm coffee.

Mike winced. He certainly didn't feel he had the audacity to rat Santana out, but Sam would figure it out anyways when he got outside. But still.. "I dunno dude, nevermind. Just let me get dressed and I'll come with you."

When they got to the shed, neither of them were surprised to see she wasn't inside.

"You knew she wouldn't be here, didn't you?" Sam murmured as they opened the storage room to find three half-awake horses. "Do you know where she went?"

Mike sighed. "No. I don't." Was all he said in response as he got to work, rousing and preparing to saddle the horses. He ignored Sam's eyes watching him.

Sam bit his lip in frustration. "I don't get it, man. I know somethings up with you. I thought we were bros. Why do you keep acting like you've got some deep dark secr.." he trailed off before his eyes widened. "Dude, you havent—you haven't been _bitten_, have you?" He asked shakily.

Mike stopped what he was doing and faced his friend. "No. I'd never hide that. Just.."

"Then what, man, _what_? I know there's something. Did you have to shoot someone on your mission with Quinn? Did you encounter a horde or something that spooked you? What?" Sam yelled. He didn't understand why Mike was being so weird. Mike was the one person in his life that understood he needed things to be straightforward and simple. He could handle bad news, he just needed it to be honest as uncomplicated as possible. Right now he wanted to pull his hair out.

Mike warred within himself. He could tell Sam. He had to tell Sam. Sam would understand. "I found a message from Tina." He finally blurted into the chilled air.

Sam's heart skipped a beat. "Is she—is she okay? When?"

"Yesterday." Mike gulped. "I-I was searching the _EON_ for any news about the status of Ohio and.. there was a post there from her. She's—She _was _in Columbus with a group from Lima. That was a month ago.." Mike was shaking a little as he spoke and Sam could see that he was totally conflicted inside.

"Dude. I'm—well this is good, right? We know she's—she's safe and.. not alone." Sam tried. He didn't know how to process this information just yet, but hearing that Tina was alive had to be a good thing for Mike, right? So why was he... "Mike, are—is there something else, man? You don't look happy at all." He knew he'd be ecstatic to hear from Mercedes, but it'd been impossible to find her on the Los Angeles forum. There was too much chaos with such a huge population and he couldn't do anything with chaos. He'd tried for his family in the Tennessee forum but came up with nothing. He swallowed down the guilt that followed the discovery.

"I—Sam I have to go to her." Mike sniffed. "I'm going crazy here. I'm safe and relatively comfortable here with you guys and I—what if she needs me?" He asked. There were tears streaming down his face and Sam felt a little defenseless in that moment.

"So you're—what are you gonna do?" Sam asked uneasily. He had a feeling what Mike would say.

"I've gotta go to her." Mike murmured. "I'm leaving the group."

Sam's breathing increased rapidly "Mike you—bro you can't. How would you even? You can't!"

"What if it was Cedes? What if you heard from Cedes, Sam? Wouldn't you do anything you could to—"

"MERCEDES IS DEAD!" Sam screamed, startling the horses. "She's gone! _My _girl is gone! I know because they put a quarantine block on Los Angeles because it was a disaster there! My family is probably dead too! I—" Sam choked on his tears, and let out a sob. "I know its selfish, but I can't lose you too, Mike. If you go, the odds are stacked high against you. I'll have no one left. You're all I have left."

Mike sniffed and wiped his face with his shirt. He stumbled forward and hugged Sam tightly. Telling Sam was the worst idea he's ever had. "I'm sorry bro." He murmured into his best friend's ear. "I'm sorry."

—AP—

"Shit." Santana mumbled as she dropped the last limb into the pile. It was already past eight and she knew she was going to be late getting back to the cabin. She pulled off the gloves and tossed the on the ground, douseing them in the Chlorine solution. Next she did her machete, before finally her boots. She then pulled the bag over hear head and off her body, tossing it onto the pile, and then finally the mask which she cleaned with the solution. After everything she used was clean, she packed it up into the bag and then pulled out the lighter fluid and a box of matches.

The flames reflected in her eyes as she watched it burn.

—AP—

When breakfast was served, the suspects were no where to be found. Quinn, Rachel, Jesse and Beth sat awkwardly at the table, waiting to see if the rest of their group would show. Quinn hadn't considered that they could be plotting _together, _and she cursed herself for overlooking that possibility. Sue Sylvester would've considered that from the _start._ She narrowed her eyes at Beth, as if she too were in on it. Beth scrunched up her face in an adorable attempt to mimic Quinn, causing Quinn to laugh.

"Potty, Quinn!" Beth announced with a smile, causing Jesse and Rachel to trade looks and Quinn to spring into action.

"Potty? Okay! Just.. just hang tight!" She laughed as she swiftly grabbed Beth and carried her to the bathroom by her arms, her little legs dangling as she giggled. Beth liked this game. Each time she announced "potty", Quinn would rush her to the bathroom and they'd stare at each other until Beth wanted more juice. The best part was the juice!

"Well, I know its rude but I'm starving, and these grits are calling to me." Jesse said, as he shovelled a spoonful into his mouth. Rachel watched as he took some sugar and mixed it into his bowl. She then looked at her own plate and shrugged, digging in. They'd waited an hour already.

Back in the bathroom, Quinn was glaring at a giggling Beth. "How come you never actually potty when you say you need to?"

Beth shrugged.

"Hmm.. maybe you just need more juice?" Quinn smirked.

Beth nodded with a smile.

"Ha! I'm on to you, Beth Fabray Corcoran. I know this game. You'll pretend to need the potty so I'll give you juice, then you'll just go in the pull-up again!"

Beth laughed and shook her head. Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"How about this, Bethie. I'll get you that juice you want, and raise you a pack of fruit snacks if you tee-tee in the potty today. For real. Deal?"

Beth considered this deal. It was enticing. Quinn saved the last box of fruit snacks for special circumstances since they hadn't gone for a food run in a while. Beth really wanted those snacks. "Okay," she nodded.

Quinn cheered internally. She lifted Beth from the toilet seat and fixed her clothes. "Okay. Now remember! If you have to potty, where do we go?"

"In the bathroom!" Beth responded.

"That's right. And what does Beth get if she uses the potty today?" Quinn smiled.

"Fruit snacks!" Beth squealed. Quinn couldn't help but shower her in kisses and praises and love. At least things were easy with Beth. The smile on her face dropped as she glanced out the bathroom window while fixing Beth's clothes.. the light from the weapon glinting into her eye from hundreds of yards away.


	5. So Your Sad Eyes

Quinn's mind was racing as she tried to come up with some kind of excuse to the image that kept replaying in her thoughts. She didn't know how to handle what she'd seen. She knew she had to confront Santana but, she didn't have enough evidence to form an interrogation. All she saw really was the glint of a machete as the woman made her way back to the cabin from the woods. That in itself was inconspicuous enough, but it was the fact that she was alone—a big no-no,—had a weapon in hand when she should have been walking horses, and she clearly was doing whatever it was she was doing under the cloak of night—or at least, ridiculously early morning. She obviously didn't want anyone to find out. Or most likely, Quinn. But why? What was she hiding? Could it put the rest of them at risk?

"Quinn, I can't sleep with you thinking so loudly." Rachel smiled at her girlfriend. Quinn was holding her tightly as they tried to fall asleep, the night silent and brooding. She buried her nose into Rachel's hair, and playfully squeezed her arms around Rachel's waist, molding her back even tighter against her front.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, careful not to disturb Beth. The toddler was curled into Rachel's front. It didn't matter, when they woke up she'd be using someone as a mattress, no matter how they fell asleep.

"Scoot back," Rachel asked. Quinn complied and rolled over onto her back as Rachel shifted to face her. "What's wrong? Maybe I can help."

Rachel's dark and sincere eyes always grounded Quinn. She wanted to talk to Rachel and at least unburden her mind so they could rest, but she couldn't put her thoughts into words for communication. Rachel waited patiently as Quinn stared at the ceiling and listened to her girls breathe.

"Something's happening." She finally settled on. In the past, Rachel would've been frustrated with the vague statement. But now, she'd been with Quinn long enough to know that patience was key. She trailed her palm over Quinn's flat stomach.

"Something like what?" Rachel whispered in an effort to encourage Quinn.

Quinn sighed. "I don't know. Something is up with Santana, Sam, and Mike. It feels like build-up. Like something is going to happen as a consequence of whatever they are doing. I don't even know if they are scheming together or—"

"Wait, baby," Rachel said. "_scheming_? What do you mean?"

Quinn frowned in uncertainty. "I don't know, Rachel. All I know is that I saw Santana coming out of the woods this morning alone with a duffle bag and a machete. When I looked inside it, there was a bunch of equipment that she wouldn't need to hunt or tend horses. Mike's been acting strange lately as well, and Sam was stuck to him today like a baby chimp, pouting around like his Mom took away his comic books or something. I just.. feel out of the loop and that scares me. We are supposed to trust each other. Right now, I don't... I don't know what's happening. But something is."

Rachel lifted herself up on her elbow and leaned in to kiss the pout on Quinn's lips. Quinn accepted the kiss, but it wasn't exactly the response she was looking for. Rachel could feel she wasn't completely invested and pulled back with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm trying to help but I don't know how. That's not really enough information to form an opinion, and my preferred tactic obviously didn't work."

Quinn chuckled quietly. "I know, baby. And you know I love your kisses." She leaned up and pecked Rachel's lips to reassure her.

"Why don't you ask them at breakfast? Just lay all the cards on the table. Tell them what you know without being accusatory, and just ask what they've been up to." Rachel suggested before laying her head on Quinn's chest, and cuddling up close.

Quinn kissed the top of her head, and smiled at the simple suggestion. "You make it sound so easy."

Rachel tilted her head up to kiss Quinn's neck softly. "It is. Its very simple." She husked, trailing her kisses all over Quinn's skin. They both paused when they heard a thump, that most certainly would've come from downstairs. Quinn sat straight up, forcing Rachel to shift off her. Rachel groaned internally, but trained her wide eyes on Quinn.

"What was that?" She whispered.

Quinn hopped up and pulled jeans over her sleep-sweats and a hoodie over her long sleeve top. "I don't know, but I'll be right back." She said as she strapped on her gun.

Rachel huffed and dramatically fell back into her blankets. It was probably nothing. If it were anything to worry about the alarm would have sounded. That reassuring thought allowed her to doze off before Quinn came back in.

—AP—

Mike cursed himself in the darkness. At this rate he'd wake up the whole house. He tried to steel himself but he was shaking with anxiety and fear over what he was about to do. He needed supplies and he certainly wasn't going to steal anything from the group's reserves. So that only left him one option—a visit to a few pirates. With Quinn the trip was terrifying enough, but tonight he'd be alone.

He picked up the duffle he'd dropped and made sure it was filled with items he could trade off. He'd caught a nice sized buck with Sam earlier, and was able to salvage some parts after cutting the good meat for the group. He also had the crossbow he'd used before his current upgrade he was leaving with the group, and his handgun. He was hoping that this was enough to get him a shotgun and an ATV. He'd seen a few of them available at the market on his last trip with Quinn that had been outfitted to run on organic oils. They kept enough animal fat for that to get him all the way to Columbus.

Zipping his bag he pulled it over his shoulder, and grabbed his knives. He and Quinn had become exceptionally good at throwing them. He'd be able to protect himself plenty with them on a one on one basis, but if he ran into a horde he would definitely need a shotgun. He ran a hand through his hair and steeled his nerves. He was doing this. For Tina. He could even bring her back here if he found her and she wasn't.. he didn't want to consider any other outcomes.

The air outside was cold and hard. The snow crunched beneath his boots before he made his way into the road. He would have to walk a little over four hours to get to the market but he was used to the trip. There were other cabins in the woods, but most were abandoned. The ones that were occupied held survivors who generally kept to themselves and were just taking it a day at a time much like his own group.

About two hours in, he had calmed himself enough to be prepared for his mission. He quietly made his way along the road his mind filled with memories of his first love. That is, until he heard a small noise behind him. Trying to remain calm, he showed no outward signs of distress but quickly brought his hand to his knife. He spun around gracefully to face the intruder, but no one was there.

Mike's breathing was erratic but he scolded himself for his paranoia, even as his gut screamed that someone was following him. He swallowed his fear and turned back on his trail before he heard another noise to his right that almost made him jump out of his skin.

Looking into the direction of a line of trees, he prepared himself to be attacked. He saw what looked like a wolf—it must has smelled the frozen meat in his bag—and stood still, knowing he'd never outrun it. They simply stared at each other until the tension slowly left his body as he realized the animal wasn't interested in attacking. It simply watched him, then looked behind him as if he was warning him of something, then calmly walked over to his bag and sniffed it. Mike noted during the terrifying interaction that the beast wasn't actually a wolf, but rather, a Husky. It even had a collar now that he was able to examine it fully. This was someone's pet. He released a harsh breath and chuckled quietly to himself.

He spared a slice of the frozen meat for the dog and set about his way, but the animal must've taken it as an invitation. Mike was wary about the dog following him, but he figured at least he'd have company on the journey, and could leave it somewhere out of harm's way when he got there. On the walk the dog occasionally looked behind them but every time Mike looked there was nothing there. He figured the pup's hearing probably made it super anxious about everything. He told himself that so he wouldn't worry, and hoped that Huskies were a loyal and aggressive breed.

They walked together in silence until they reached the gate of the market, where Mike led the dog to stay in the darkness of the tree line. He smiled slightly when it heeded his command, and in reward he broke off another chunk of the meat and gave it to his new friend. "No more," he stated quietly. "I need this for the trade."

He made his way into the grounds and tightened his grip on his bag. He tried his best not to seem so nervous but.. he couldn't help the fear that chilled his blood. He thought maybe he should've brought the dog to give himself a sense of security, but clenched his jaw in determination as he found the guy he was looking for among the group of rowdy men and women, as they argued over sales and drank and made plans to attack supply drops.

"Just the man I came to see." He said with false confidence as he smiled smugly at the pirate.

"Whatcha got for me kid? I'm not in the mood to fuck around so you better have something in that bag worthwhile." The man snarled.

Mike straightened his back and let the adrenaline provide him with an edge of arrogance. "Look, you've got rides and I need one. I've got quality game and weaponry that I think you could sell for top dollar. We can help each other out here if you're willing to, _kid._" Mike snarked at the man who was clearly at least 15 years his senior.

"Game _and _weapons, you say?" The man leered creepily. "The fucks a scrawny kid like you doing walking around with such pricey commodities?"

Mike thought it was ridiculous for something as freely available as fresh buck meat was a _commodity,_ but who was he to argue? If people were too dumb to learn to hunt then that worked in his favor. "I don't have all day to chat. You want to trade or what?"

The pirate grunted in amusement at his bravado. "What exactly you wanting to trade for, kid?"

Mike trained his eyes on a Kawasaki Brute Force 650. The pirate noticed and smirked. "How fast is that one?"

The man chuckled lowly. "This baby can do 60+ miles per hour, easy. You're gonna need more than a few steaks for this one, boy."

Mike smiled darkly, "Don't attempt to swindle me. I know how much buck meat is worth here and I know you don't have a lot of buyers for vehicles because people are wary of the effort it takes to fuel them."

The man laughed again, friendlier this time. "What's your name, kid?"

Mike wasn't sure it was a good idea giving pirates a way to I.d. him. "It's Kurt."

"Well Kurt, show me what you got in that bag, and we'll talk."

Mike put the duffle up on the table and took out five large chunks of frozen venison. The cuts were from the neck, shoulder, and shank, but he hoped the man wouldn't complain about that.

"Well alright then," the man smiled, obviously pleased with the meat as Mike subtly released a nervous breath. "Don't think I don't know these ain't prime cuts. I may not be a hunter but I'm not an idiot, but lucky for you I happen to enjoy stew and jerky."

Mike allowed himself to relax a bit as the man surveyed his offering. "The ATV, its been outfitted for oils, right?"

The man laughed as he turned and went into his trailer. When he returned he had a set of keys in his hand and a quart of oil. He tossed the keys at Mike and smiled when he caught them one-handed. "It's yours. I should be laughing my ass off at this trade but I've got more vehicles than I need and I'm craving stew like a motherfucker. That powder shit ain't cutting it."

Mike smiled as he pocketed the keys. "Thanks. I've gotta see the weapons guy on the other side, mind if I leave it here for a few minutes?"

"No problem, kid. But be careful with that asshole. I think he might be infected with a mutant strain or some shit. He's fucked in the head." The man said, as he began to carry the meat into his trailer. Mike nodded in thanks and made his way to the other side of the camp.

The weapons guy was sitting in a fold out lawn chair beside a table with all sorts of rifles lined up on it. Mike suspected he may have actually been in gun sales before the outbreak, because how else would he find all that? He knew he wouldn't have the same luck of the draw as with the other guy, so he put up his defenses as he neared the man.

"I ain't interested in no goddamn Girl Scout cookies." The man growled.

Mike wondered if this man thought he was a bad-ass simply because he sold weapons. "I'm not offering cookies. I'm here to trade for a shotgun."

The man grunted "What are you, like 15? Never can tell with _your kind."_

Mike glared at the man but didn't respond to the racist comment. "I need a gun. Do you have it or not?"

The man stood imposingly in an effort to intimidate Mike. Mike surreptitiously took a step back, but kept his eyes on the man and his hand on his knife.

"The fuck you got in that bag, boy?" He growled as he leaned over the table to grab at one of his sawed off shotguns. "This'un fires slugs and shells. But I doubt you got anything I want for it," he chuckled darkly.

Mike unzipped his bag and placed his handgun and his crossbow on the table. "I'll give you both for the gun and a box of shells."

The man eyed Mike before giving him a vile grin. "What's stopping me from blowing your fucking head off and taking the both of'em, Bruce Lee?" He said, as he raised the shotgun and pointed it at Mike.

"Try it, and I'll have a bullet in yours before your finger even twitches." Quinn said behind the pirate, her gun trained on _his_ head. Mike's eyes widened comically.

The man powered the gun with a laugh and turned to face Quinn. "I was just fucking with him, darlin'. Keep your damn panties on. On second thought—"

He was cut off by the sound of Quinn cocking her gun. "Don't speak." She growled threateningly. "Do you want to trade or not? Nod yes or no."

The man leered creepily as he nodded his head yes. He put the shotgun on the table and growled "Take it, _faggot. _Must be nice to have a woman fighting your battles."

Quinn pressed the gun harder into his temple. "I said don't speak. Now we are going to take the shotgun, and we are going to leave. Do not follow us. Don't not watch us. Go on about your night and we'll be on our way." She then turned to Mike with a glare. "Grab your gun, Mike. Let's go."

Mike nodded and gulped as he lifted the shotgun into his bag and zipped it. He slowly backed away from the confrontation as he saw Quinn doing the same, her weapon aimed at the pirate. As soon as Mike turned his back, Quinn lowered her gun in a foolish move. The pirate took this as an opportunity to retaliate, and picked up one of the guns from the table. Quinn, in a flash that possibly saved them both, reached for Mike's knife swiftly and threw it into the man's neck. He dropped the weapon as he felt the knife protruding from his throat, and silently collapsed onto the ground. Mike's breath caught in his throat as he witnessed the quick kill. Quinn grabbed his arm and quickly moved over to the lot where Mike's purchase awaited them.

"Thank you." Mike said lowly.

Quinn didn't respond.

They made their way to the vehicle, collected the dog who had waited patiently for their return, and headed far away from that goddamn camp before someone discovered the man she'd killed.

—AP—

Four hours later at the cabin, the sun was preparing to rise. Mike and Quinn sat quietly on the porch of the cabin, as the dog lay near their feet. Quinn didn't know what to feel about having another mouth to feed, but figured the animal could come in handy.

"Its a girl." She stated. "She'll need a name, you know."

Mike kept his eyes straight ahead. "You should name her." He replied softly.

Quinn looked down at the dog and watched her tail wag from side to side. "You aren't obligated to answer me. I'm not the boss of everyone, nor am I in control. I stepped up to lead on most group decisions because I thought I could help. I'm starting to realize that we've gotten so comfortable here that we've forgotten that we need each other to survive."

Mike didn't respond.

Quinn gazed at him. "Okay, I'm not demanding answers or anything I just... we can't do this. We can't start being foolish now. We aren't in the clear yet. We need to stick together and trust each other until the end of thi—"

"It was just something I needed to do alone, Quinn. I suppose I should be thankful you followed me because you saved my life. For that I'm eternally grateful, don't misunderstand. But I needed to go and I needed to go alone." Mike said forcefully.

"Why? Why couldn't you just have taken me with you? Why did it need to be done now, in secret?" Quinn asked in anger.

Mike sighed before standing and stepping forward in front of Quinn. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "Thank you, Quinn. I owe you my life." He said, before heading back inside the cabin.

Quinn growled in frustration, startling the dog slightly. She sighed and stood to head back inside. "Come on girl, its warmer in here." She said, as she closed the door behind them and set the alarm.

Upstairs in her room, she shed her outwear and piled a blanket in the floor for the dog. "I guess I'll call you Sascha. That's a good Siberian Husky name, right?"

The dog circled the blanket and then dropped down into it. Quinn smiled as the obviously tired pup closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

Curling up into her own bed, Quinn sighed and pulled Rachel's and Beth's sleeping bodies closer and chased her own dreams. Dreams that, if she could hold on to, would help her escape from this nightmare.


End file.
